URBAN FANTASY REVIEW: The Sisters Grimm - Menna Van Praag

Release Date: 03/10/19
Publisher: Transworld Publishers



SYNOPSIS:
There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of sisters Grimm on Earth.
You may well be one of them, though you might never know it.
You think you’re ordinary.
You never suspect that you’re stronger than you seem, braver than you feel or greater than you imagine.

But I hope that by the time you finish this tale, you’ll start listening to the whispers that speak of unknown things, the signs that point in unseen directions and the nudges that suggest unimagined possibilities.

I hope too that you’ll discover your own magnificence, your own magic . . .
__________________

This is the story of four sisters Grimm – daughters born to different mothers on the same day, each born out of bright-white wishing and black-edged desire. They found each other at eight years-old, were separated at thirteen and now, at nearly eighteen, it is imperative that they find each other once again. 

In thirty-three days they will meet their father in Everwhere. Only then will they discover who they truly are, and what they can truly do. Then they must fight to save their lives and the lives of the ones they love. Three will live, one will die. You’ll have to read on to find out who and why… 



REVIEW: 
I love to try something a little different and this title certainly sold itself to me with the book blurb.  However whilst after reading it, it wasn't really my cup of tea, I did admire the way that the author brought the characters across to the reader, giving them foibles as well as strengths, grounded reality alongside their magical abilities.

It has solid prose, dialogue that will help them feel real and whilst for me I felt that the pace was lacking, it does show that the author will win themselves fans with this series.  All round a book that is one hell of a start to a writers career and whilst this one is a pass for me, I will read future outings to see what other wonderful worlds she has created.

FANTASY REVIEW: Shroud of Prophecy 1: Fate of the Fallen - Kel Kade

Release Date: 05/11/19
Publisher: Tor UK



SYNOPSIS: Fate of the Fallen is the start of a brand new adventure from New York Times bestselling author Kel Kade

Not all stories have happy endings.
Everyone loves Mathias. Naturally, when he discovers it’s his destiny to save the world, he dives in head first, pulling his best friend Aaslo along for the ride.

However, saving the world isn’t as easy, or exciting, as it sounds in the stories. The going gets rough and folks start to believe their best chance for survival is to surrender to the forces of evil, which isn’t how the prophecy goes. At all. As the list of allies grows thin, and the friends find themselves staring death in the face they must decide how to become the heroes they were destined to be or, failing that, how to survive.




REVIEW: This is a book that I read and then wanted to take the time to think about my review before writing as I wanted to make sense of everything and figure out how to do it without ruining the tale in any way for the reader.

Yes the plotline in the blurb sounds a lot like your typical stereotypical fantasy title however what the author does differently is have the prophecy thing turned on its head, exploring what happens when evil triumphs.

Its a cracking concept, the prose is solid and the overall arc is more than entertaining. The pace keeps up with what the reader would expect of a first book in a series and what the author really has done well is flesh the characters out so that as a reader you give a damn as to what happens to them.

As you'd expect with this, its a title that really does take you for a ride with its quirky twists, some cracking asides and dialogue that will keep you reading late into the night not only because of how hard a time you'll have putting it down but also because of the joy of taking a different tack to a great many other titles out there.

FANTASY REVIEW: Poison wars 1: City of Lies - Sam Hawke

RELEASE DATE:  23/08/18

PUBLISHER:   Bantam Press

SYNOPSIS:
I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me . . .

Only a handful of people in Silasta know Jovan’s real purpose in life. To most, he is just another son of the ruling class. The quiet, forgettable friend of the Chancellor’s charming, irresponsible heir. In reality, Jovan has been trained for most of his life to detect, concoct and withstand poisons in order to protect the ruling family.

His sister Kalina is too frail to share in their secret family duty. While other women of the city hold positions of power and responsibility, her path is full of secrets and lies – some hidden even from her own brother.

Until now, peace has reigned in Silasta for hundreds of years. But when the Chancellor succumbs to an unknown poison and an army storms the gates, the so-called Bright City is completely unprepared. It falls to Jovan and Kalina to protect the heir and save their homeland – but first they must make their way through a new world of unexpected treachery, a world where the ancient spirits are rising . . . and angry.

This fabulous epic fantasy debut will appeal to readers of Joe Abercrombie and Terry Brooks, Robin Hobb and Mark Lawrence and all points in between.


REVIEW:
I've been hearing a lot of good things from various friends at Bantam about this book for quite some time, so I was more than happy to dive in when a copy landed upon my doorstep. 

What Sam brings to the fore, in this her debut book, is a tale that has a lot of the elements that I love in modern fantasy, intrigue, double dealing, ruthless ambition blended with solid action sequences and of course morals that give the characters within not only their own codes but their own outlook on their existence that leads to more than some interesting points of view.

The book is delightfully written with great prose and pace that keeps the story moving, also reflecting on presenting a believable world and when you add into this characters that feel fleshed enough to pass on the street, all round makes this a book that was not only hard to put down but for me presented a title that was so much of a highlight that I'm sure it will make my top five books of the year.

I really can't wait to see what Sam has in store for future outings and if the following match this one for quality and development, all round will make her a firm name on fan's buy lists for quite some time to come.  Trust me, get this title now, I really can see the book getting optioned for something soon and personally is a book I can't recommend enough to fantasy fans.

URBAN FANTASY CRIME REVIEW: Witchmark - CL Polk

RELEASE DATE:  19/06/18

PUBLISHER:  Tor/Forge

SYNOPSIS:

C. L. Polk arrives on the scene with Witchmark, a stunning, addictive fantasy that combines intrigue, magic, betrayal, and romance.

One of Publishers Weekly's Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2018!
In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a World War, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own.
Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn't leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can't hide what he truly is.
When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles' healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient's murder. To find the truth he'll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he's ever seen.

REVIEW:
I love a book that's a bit different to a lot of whats out there and whilst its starting to become a bit of a trend to have a crime novel in a fantasy setting, this title from CL  brings cracking world building to the fore alongside characters that are fully rounded whom you'd love to spend time with, so much so that putting the book down will be a real hardship.

Add to this great prose, some top notch twists alongside some political machinations to help muddy the waters alongside the characters trying to fight for their own beliefs and desires which colours the story and all round you have a cracking novel that leaves you desiring more.  A cracking example of a story done well and with the building that has gone into the piece, plenty of scope for future outings.  A real joy to read.

FANTASY REVIEW: The Traitor God - Cameron Johnston

RELEASE DATE:  07/06/18
PUBLISHER:  Angry Robot

SYNOPSIS:
A city threatened by unimaginable horrors must trust their most hated outcast, or lose everything, in this crushing epic fantasy debut. After ten years on the run, dodging daemons and debt, reviled magician Edrin Walker returns home to avenge the brutal murder of his friend. Lynas had uncovered a terrible secret, something that threatened to devour the entire city. He tried to warn the Arcanum, the sorcerers who rule the city. He failed. Lynas was skinned alive and Walker felt every cut. Now nothing will stop him from finding the murderer. Magi, mortals, daemons, and even the gods - Walker will burn them all if he has to. After all, it wouldn't be the first time he's killed a god...


REVIEW:
Fantasy is a genre that many people think of as quite simplistic falling into the "there's a hero, he goes out, kicks some butt and that's about it" camp or "Its Elves, fairies and shit isn't it?"  Well sorry to disappoint but we've evolved as a genre, yes we do still have that sort of stuff but then you get kickass titles like this debut from Cameron Johnston who gives the reader a book of vengeance, high octane action, political double dealing and overall characters that really help to drive not only the story but the world involved forward.

The pose is solid enough and the world is definitely one of interest but for me, its the characters that stand out.  I loved the principle hero who whilst dislikeable at the beginning demonstrated the complexities of his situation who whilst seperated from a lot of others within due to his abilities, also has a caring side alongside being distanced.  Its well done, brings a lot of differing aspects to the fore and for me, I loved every minute of it.

All round a cracking debut and with a few twists and turns is a book that I hope will lead on to others for the author as I really did get a lot from it.  Magic.

FANTASY REVIEW: Kingdom of Grit 1: The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn - Tyler Whitesides

RELEASE DATE:  15/05/18
PUBLISHER:   Orbit

SYNOPSIS:

AN EXPLOSIVE TALE OF DARING DEEDS, DECEIT AND DRAGONS
Ardor Benn is no ordinary thief - a master of wildly complex heists, he styles himself a Ruse Artist Extraordinaire.
When a mysterious priest hires him for the most daring ruse yet, Ardor knows he'll need more than quick wit and sleight of hand. Assembling a dream team of forgers, disguisers, schemers and thieves, he sets out to steal from the most powerful king the realm has ever known.
But it soon becomes clear there's more at stake than fame and glory - Ard and his team might just be the last hope for human civilisation.

REVIEW:
To be honest I was really looking forward to this title, I loved the synopsis and couldn't wait to see how the whole thing would pan out, however rather than being a high octane fantasy heist  title, the book was rather a bit of a damp squib due to rather two dimensional stereotypical cast members with no real hooks to get the reader to care about their fates.

The writing was a little lack-lustre for me, the book could have been heavily edited to cut out a lot of fluff and of course that way would have allowed for solid pacing rather than a lot of running about with no real gain for the reader.

Back this up with basic dialogue and sadly all round, its a book that I can forget quite easily.  A great shame.

SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW: Everything About You - Heather Child

RELEASE DATE:  26/04/18

PUBLISHER:  Orbit
EXTRACT

SYNOPSIS:

A missing girl. Dangerous new technology. Perfect for fans of Black Mirror and Gone Girl, discover this year's most cutting-edge thriller - before it discovers you.
Think twice before you share your life online.

Freya has a new virtual assistant. It knows what she likes, knows what she wants and knows whose voice she most needs to hear: her missing sister's.
It adopts her sister's personality, recreating her through a life lived online. But this virtual version of her sister knows things it shouldn't be possible to know. It's almost as if the missing girl is still out there somewhere, feeding fresh updates into the cloud. But that's impossible. Isn't it?

With twists and turns you'll never see coming, Everything About You is a thrilling debut showing a chilling vision of a future that's just around the corner. You'll never look at your privacy settings in the same way again . . .
The world of Everything About You is closer than you think:
* Right now, the average child features in over 1,500 online photographs by the age of five
* By 2025, you will interact with connected devices nearly 5,000 times per day
* Today there are already companies who will collect your data so that your relatives can interact with your 'digital doppelganger' after you die.

REVIEW:
This is a book that is not only quite freaky in its premise but does get the reader to ask themselves a lot of questions about what exactly is out there about themselves.  Its well written, has a great arc and above all else is a story that is built around a realistic feeling character that you not only want to associate with but get to know.



Its a definitely a title of today's modern media world and with us each using it more and more each day, giving trust easily as well as information, its a theme that I feel is going to become more popular disguising the ease of use alongside convenience against your own identity and freedom.

The author really works the premise alongside the questions well into the overall arc and with a good use of pace alongside dialogue makes this a book that will stay with me for quite some time.  Cracking.